Just a Friend
by Phantom's Grace
Summary: The story of the Phantom's childhood friend, Anne who wants more than a friend... of course I do not own any of the characters in this story except of course Anne
1. Chapter 1

All of two months ago, Erik tried with all his power to make the beautiful Christine Daae love him. His efforts were futile, from what he has told me it was due to his face being so horrid and disfigured.

I should clarify, my name is Anne

I am the phantom's only friend

and I am blind.

My story is not quite as exciting or horrible as Erik's, we both were in the traveling circus together but I am a gipsy's daughter. Every night I would visit Erik in his prison cell. I was never quite clear on his age though it seemed we were the same. One night our circus traveled to a town near an old Opera house.

I was in the room helplessly listening to my friend be tortured by the master. As everyone left I heard Erik tap three times on the floor signaling me to stay hidden. Then I heard the sound of the girl opening the cage as Erik choked the master until there was a thud on the ground. I couldn't believe what had happened. Someone had rescued Erik from his prison, but the thought of life without my friend was horrid so I secretly followed their footsteps to what seemed like a cave.

Soon after I relieved myself to Erik, he was so surprised yet relieved that I had followed, he took me in his arms and hugged me tight.

"Thank you my dear Anne for staying by my side, please stay with me longer" he cried, "don't go back there, stay here in this place with me."

"Erik, I hear water, this land is slick, you must remember I cannot see. How could I stay down here and be safe from harm. I have an idea though, please, tell me where we are exactly"

"You are in an opera house" the girl said.

I turned around startled, usually I pick up on people coming and going I must be tired from today, "Oh, and what is it a blind girl could do for an opera house"

"Well, I am a dancer the other girls and I dance for the shows, there are many jobs here, you could dance ballet, you could create the sets, or you could be a cleaner." she replied

"I think I will try cleaning, Im not big on dancing and Im not sure how safe it would be to have a blind girl prancing around the stage. Who shall I talk to about becoming a cleaner?"

"I can talk to the head maid for you Im sure she will give you a job, what about you Erik"

Through tears of both relief and sadness Erik replied, "I will just like here, my face, this horrid disfigured face is too frightening for others. P-please just don't let them know Im here I will live here and visit Anne, but no one must know."

"I promise not to tell" the girl said sweetly "your hidden in here now, you no longer need that bag upon your head."

I heard him slowly bring the bag from his head, and a quick gasp came from the girl's mouth but as quickly as it came she pulled it in and took a few steps towards the place me and Erik were sitting.

"I must go, goodbye Erik. Anne come with me we will go now and talk to the head maid."

"Erik," I said as I softly touched the right side of his face, he shuttered as I ran my fingers across his cheek "I will visit you often."

I turned to the girl and took her arm as she lead me away from Erik and the cave.


	2. Chapter 2

25 years later

"Erik you must not fall for this young girl, she is not for you, you cannot own her" I pleaded to Erik as he sat sobbing after what had happened today.

"Anne, you weren't there, you didn't see the look on her face!" he shouted, "She removed my mask and I almost injured her in my fury. Im in love with her Anne and I cant stop it."

"You are a fool! You cannot love her she loves another man she is young and will not give up her life to live in this dreadful cave of yours. And I don't blame her for wanting to see your face. Erik I have known you since we were very young and I will never get to see your beauty!" I cried.

"My friend Anne, please stay away for now, I can handle Christine, she will love me in the end, or she will pay." he said furiously as he punched the wall and winced.

"You are not invincible, you're going to hurt yourself!" I said, frustrated at his stupidity, "I must go back to my duties Erik, would you please lead me out?" I knew my way full well around these caves now, it just always felt good having a friend by my side.

I went on with my duties for the next week until the night of the Opera.

"Anne, you have been working all day" said a fellow maid, "please come to the Opera, you can listen".

"Okay Marie, I'll come but you must stay with me, I do not know where I should go." I replied.

"Follow me, we must get you cleaned up," Marie said as she took me into that bathroom to wash up.

Later that night the Opera started, even though I could not see, it was very entertaining, until Erik came. I heard the soft click of a door handle from above, when suddenly Erik's voice echoed out across the hall. His voice so angry yet so beautiful, even without song.

"Marie please take me out to the hall," I requested suddenly feeling the need to find Erik, though I didn't know how I would.

As soon as we made our way out into the hall I felt someone walking past, almost instantaneously Marie pulled me aside as if I was in the way. "Anne! We should go, I think that was the phantom he might hurt us." I knew full well he wouldn't hurt me but I didnt feel the need to explain to Marie. Reluctantly, I walk along with her as she pulled me away from the sounds of screaming from the Opera hall, something was truly wrong.

Running through the halls I finally asked Marie "Were are you taking me?"

"We must hide and stay out of trouble"

"But Marie, I doubt the phantom will hurt two maids, I'm sure hes gone. I will be fine you can go back to your quarters now, I will return to mine" I said in a calm voice.

"Okay, ket me take you to yours," she said as we walked through the hall, and up to my door.

"Thank you Marie, goodnight," as soon as she walked down the hall I shut the door and moved slowely to the bed wondering what had happened that night. As soon as a sat down my door opened ond someone walked in swiftly and grabbed my arm.

"Come Anne," Erik demanded in a rough voice.

"Oh Eric what is wrong" I replied.

"Just follow me to the roof of the Opera, we will be alone there. I just want someone to be with right now." He said sadly. I agreed and we swiftly climbed the secret stairs to the roof, but someone was already there. I heared singing, It sounded like Christine and another man. Erik began to sniffle.

"Wait here," he said as I stood in the stairway he quickly jumped away to hide from his love Christine. It seemed that Christine and this other man were in love, suddenly I realized what was happening and I felt a lump in my throat. _Oh no_ I thought _Erik, please, please don't do anything you will regret, _I silently pleaded knowing there was know way he could hear me.

Finally they left, and it was just me and Erik. Whom I could hear, was sobbing. "Oh Erik im so sorry," I said softly from the doorway. "Please, were are you?" I asked as I reached out searching for a sign he was still here.

"Christine, oh christine" Erik sobbed softly to himself. As I walked towards his voice he took a few steps towards me. I reached out and grabbed his hands and he pulled me in to a tight embrace.


	3. Chapter 3

After we stood together for what seemed like eternity, I slowly pulled away and felt up towards Erik's face. I felt a tear running down his cheek. "You know you really should take breaks once in a while, and get some rest." I joked softly as I pulled his mask off, "And this mask? Doesn't it get bothersome after a time?"

"Oh, Anne you don't understand, I heard her myself, she found my face a horrible site!" he said in anguish as he grabbed the mask from my hand. "I'll take you back to your room, its dangerous up here and I need to be alone right now."

"Just control yourself until we can talk again," I said sadly as I held out my hand. He took it and guided me silently down to my room. As soon as I turned around to thank him I felt the 'woosh' of his cape as he rushed away. _Stay out of trouble Erik, _I wished to myself.

"_Erik, I need to tell you something." I said softly as we sat together._

"_Oh? What is it?" He replied sweetly._

"_Erik, I love you, and, well I always have its just you love Christine an I didn't want to tell you until I was ready" I said sheepishly._

"_Oh Anne, I love you too. I'm sorry I never told you." He said as he picked me up, and then...Knock Knock..._

'Knock Knock'. "Anne you mustn't sleep so late we have to clean the stage after last nights performance. Please hurry I don't want us to get in trouble.

_Of course that was a dream _I said to myself sadly _Erik never acts like that, especially if I told him I love him,_ "Don't worry Marie, I'm coming." I said as I fumbled around to find my uniform.

Everything went on as usual, until the large mascaraed party that Erik made his announcement of the new play.

During the Erik's opera, Erik was interrupted by gasps from the crowd. I new something was wrong, "Oh my, Anne! Its the phantom, his face is so..." Marie gasped.

"Oh Marie please, I must go," I said as I stood up. I made my way out through the crowd and ran to the main hall. I heard a crash and screaming coming from the hall. As the doors opened I felt for something stable, I fumbled over to the banister and held tight as a stampede of screaming people ran out of the opera house. _Oh Erik what have you done._ I stood fast as the people ran out of the building, once the doors where shut I tried to find my way to my room when I ran in to someone.

"Oh Anne! We must go hide in my room we will be safe." I was relieved to hear Marie's voice. She took my hand and nearly dragged me to her room.


	4. Chapter 4

All was silent as we waited in Marie's room, but something wasnt right. I began to smell smoke "Marie! The room is burning! we must get out of here!" I yelled over the sudden roar of flames around the room. "Marie? Marie?" I called, _hadn't she been right beside me? _I thought as I felt on the bed. I felt her hand and felt up her arm to her shoulders... "Marie! Marie get up we must go! I cannot see how can I get out without you? Please Marie get up!" I screamed getting nowhere. _I have to make it out with her!_

I stumbled off the bed and tried to follow the walls to the door where I could escape but I inhaled on instinct. Black soot went down my throat and I had a violent coughing fit. Without my wits about me I just began crying for help though I knew no one was there. All the people had left, and Erik had most likely taken Christine somewhere. As that thought past through my head I felt my legs give out and I collapsed.

I awoke with a splitting head ache._ Where is Marie? Where am I? Is it Erik? _ I thought as I realized I was being carried away by someone. I could no longer smell the smoke of the fire but I felt the black soot still burning in my lungs.

"Wh-oo... who is it...?" my lungs were too full, I could hardly speak.

"Do not speak, you will strain yourself. Just relax" said a husky voice, I felt my heart flutter, of course it's Erik, who else would save me no one else even knows me.

"B- but... what? where is...?" I broke off in a coughing fit.

"Do not speak," his voice was demanding but caring, "Christine is gone, I came to find you. Your friend is safe she is with the other maids, I took her to them after getting you out of the room." As we kept going I started to sense he was taking me down under to his home. The smell of the air was wet and sweet, the air was soothing in my lungs. Just as these thoughts passed through my head a wave of exhaustion hit me, I fell into a deep sleep.

"_Oh Erik you are so beautiful" I said looking at his face, that sleek mask. Something was wrong, I couldn't see his face clearly. "Erik, oh Erik... Erik..." _I woke up in a strange silk bed.

"What where you dreaming of?" A voice inquired.

"Oh, Erik, it was nothing jus-just a dream," I stuttered nervously. _Had I said all that out loud? Did he hear it all?_ "Why?"

"You, well, you where tossing and turning in your sleep. And, I thought I heard you say my name."

"Oh, no," I felt my face get red hot "that was... wasn't... it... was... just... a dream..." I stuttered trying to find the right words. I wish I knew what he was thinking or even how he was looking at me. "Is someone going to find us here? Didn't the Opera house burn?" Unable to take it anymore I broke down crying.

"We are safe here, hidden everyone is gone they have not found my home. They never will. Now stop crying and relax" Erik said in a sweet voice as I felt his gloved hand gently wipe the tears from my cheek. Reaching up I touched his face, gently grabbing on I pulled his mask off. Erik made a small movement and sighed, he placed his hands on my face and moved it forward towards his.

"Erik" I whispered, "what... what are you doing." I waited for a response, though all he did was pull my face up to his. He kissed me, I kissed him back feeling his warmth against me. I pulled away and began crying again.

"Anne. Whats wrong? Is something... whats... was I...?" He tried to search for the right words.

"No, Erik. Its just, I can feel your face" I said reaching up brushing my fingers along the scars on the right side of his face. Then moving my hand and running it along the left side. "But I love you. And I can never see your face I'm cursed without sight." I cried softly.

He chuckeled sadly, "Anne you dont know how glad I am that you cannot see me, I am horrid and only you can ever stay with me without knowing how others see me. Only you can truly see me." He said with great sadness in his voice.

"Erik, I- I love you but I thought, Christine, everyone talks of how beautiful she is. I've never even seen my own face how am I to possibly be me beautiful than her?" I asked not really expecting an answer. No answer came, he gently placed his fingers on my chin lifting my face up and passionately kissing me once more on the lips.


End file.
